Abstract: A swimming pool cleaner interchangeably usable as a suction cleaner and as a pressure cleaner. The cleaner is of the type movable along an underwater pool surface to clean debris therefrom, the pool cleaner including a body having a debris inlet and a debris outlet. The body is adapted at the debris outlet for securement of either a water-suction hose connected to a remote suction system or a debris-collection device entrapping debris and passing water therethrough back into the pool. A venturi-line structure is secured with respect to the body. The venturi-line structure includes a venturi-line inlet adapted for connection of a water-flow line fed by a remote pump and a venturi jet located at the debris inlet to cause accelerated flow substantially thereacross and into the body when the cleaner is used as a pressure cleaner. The body includes a debris-inlet adjuster configured to reduce the debris inlet to adapt the cleaner for use as a suction cleaner.

Abstract: An automatic vacuum-relief apparatus for liquid suction systems includes a vessel defining a chamber filled with liquid in communication with a liquid flow line, a rotary shaft extending through the chamber to support a valve device adjacent to the liquid flow line and to move the valve device to open a relief-air flow channel to relieve increased suction caused by inlet blockage, and a piston on the rotary shaft responsive to suction increases within the liquid flow line and chamber to actuate shaft rotation. The valve device, chamber and relief-air flow channel are configured and arranged to cause a spurt of liquid from the chamber into the inlet while the valve device is moving from its isolating position toward its opening position upon inlet blockage, whereby the spurt of liquid pushes the blockage away from the inlet and the relief air reduces the suction.

Abstract: The wall-mountable device for convenient and compact storage of an automatic pool cleaner and related hose sections. The wall-mountable device includes a body which has a shelf portion with a substantially-vertical upper surface sized to receive the pool cleaner, a back-edge portion having a substantially-vertical surface securable to a wall, and hose-mounting portion(s) which has substantially-horizontal ledges defining open-sided notches. Each ledge is size to receive and support a hose section for uncoiled vertical storage.

Abstract: The wall-mountable device for convenient and compact storage of an automatic pool cleaner and related hose sections. The wall-mountable device includes a body which has a shelf portion with a substantially-vertical upper surface sized to receive the pool cleaner, a back-edge portion having a substantially-vertical surface securable to a wall, and hose-mounting portion(s) which has substantially-horizontal ledges defining open-sided notches. Each ledge is size to receive and support a hose section for uncoiled vertical storage.

Abstract: A four-wheel pool cleaner (20) motivated by water flow to move along a pool surface, and having: a body (24); the four wheels rotatably mounted thereon and including two sets of two wheels (22) each, one wheel of each set on each side; a drive mechanism (36) in position to be moved by water flow and having a rotatable drive member (76); a drive train extending to the first wheel set (22a, b) and to the second wheel set (22c, d), to drive all four wheels.

Abstract: A swimming pool pressure cleaner (20) of the type motivated by water flow through it having: a set of two wheels (22a, b) rotatably mounted to the body (24); a turbine housing (38) having a water-flow chamber (40) with an inlet (70) and an outlet (74), the inlet held in proximity to the pool surface (54); a vaned rotor (48) rotatably mounted in the chamber; one or more one venturi jets (66a, b) secured to the body and oriented to direct water into the inlet to rotate the turbine and cause flow from the pool into the inlet; a drive member (76) secured to the rotor and a drive train extending to the wheels for synchronous rotation on the pool surface; a cam (100) rotatably secured to the body and driven by the rotor through reduction gearing (106); and a linkage (94) from the cam to one wheel (22a) to periodically interrupt the synchronous rotation of the wheels on the pool surface and change pool cleaner direction.

Abstract: A hose swivel connection apparatus for connecting a pair of hose sections, the swivel member having male and female swivel members with underlap and overlap portions, respectively, forming radially-facing annular ball grooves between which bearing balls are captured to provide swiveling and to hold the swivel device together, and a seal between the swivel members, preferably a ring seal positioned between a pair of axially-facing opposed seal-abutment surfaces. The invention also involves hose-end couplings on swivel members of a swivel device, the couplings each having a sleeve member over and permanently secured to a hose section and being adapted for snap-engagement with one of the swivel members.

Abstract: A hose swivel connection apparatus for connecting a pair of hose sections, the swivel member having male and female swivel members with underlap and overlap portions, respectively, forming radially-facing annular ball grooves between which bearing balls are captured to provide swiveling and to hold the swivel device together, and a seal between the swivel members, preferably a ring seal positioned between a pair of axially-facing opposed seal-abutment surfaces. The invention also involves hose-end couplings on swivel members of a swivel device, the couplings each having a sleeve member over and permanently secured to a hose section and being adapted for snap-engagement with one of the swivel members.

Abstract: An debris-capturing apparatus having a fluid-pervious wall, an attachment portion attachable to the outflow port of a pressure-cleaner device, and a collapsible inflow tube that is substantially opened and made erect by the inflow of fluid but otherwise axially collapsed and thereby closed so as to block reverse flow of debris through the outflow port. The erected inflow tube preferably has cross-sectional flow areas along its entire length approximating the cross-sectional flow area of the outflow port. The debris-capturing apparatus is preferably integrally formed such that the inflow tube is a turned-in extension of the attachment portion.

Abstract: A rotary-plug shut-off valve (10) of the type having a valve chamber (20) with multiple inlets includes: an actuator chamber (26); a base member (36) forming (a) an end of the actuator chamber (26) and (b) a guide (44); a vacuum-reactive member (48) movable with respect to the base member (36); a spring (54) in axial compression and rotational tension between the base member (36) and the vacuum-reactive member (48) and compressible by vacuum force on the vacuum-reactive member (48); and a piston (60) affixed to the vacuum-reactive member (48) and slidable 1) with respect to the rotary plug (22) and 2) with respect to the base member guide (44), to achieve automatic shut-off when vacuum pressures in protected line are too intense.

Abstract: A domestic automatic swimming pool cleaner which randomly travels about and cleans the walls and bottom surfaces of a swimming pool includes two parallel or non-parallel impact tubes, the top ends of which are connected to a flexible suction hose which in turn is connected to the suction side of the pool's filter pump. The bottom ends of the tubes are served intermittent shots of water by a hinged self-starting flapper valve with an unrestricted upstream opening in the cleaner's pool surface contacting head. By the action of the valve alternately delivering pool water to the two tubes, kinetic forces are generated which move the automatic pool cleaner about the pool.

Abstract: An automatic pool cleaner having a turbine including a housing having a flow chamber and chamber wall with inlet and outlet ports, a rotatably-mounted turbine rotor, and turbine vanes each having a proximal end connected to the rotor and a distal end movable with respect to the rotor between extended positions adjacent to the wall and retracted positions spaced from the wall and closer to the rotor to allow passage of debris pieces of substantial size through the turbine. Some preferred embodiments are: curved vanes; vanes pivotably mounted to the rotor; and an eccentric rotor mount within the turbine chamber. Pivotably-mounted vanes preferably have enlargements at their proximal ends which are freely insertable into cavities in the rotor; most preferably, each vane is symmetrical about a center line such that either end is able to serve as the proximal end in engagement with the rotor.

Abstract: An automatically-locking bypass valve (10) of the type including a valve body (12), an inner member (11) in sliding engagement with the valve body (12) and having a bypass opening (48), the valve body (12) and inner member (11) having first and second vacuum-reactive surfaces (18a and 18b respectively), and a spring (60) between the valve body (12) and the inner member (11) against which the vacuum-reactive surfaces (18a and 18b respectively) move axially relative to each other. The valve body (12) has a guide (26) and the inner member (11) has a guide-follower (50) which is (a) slidably engaged with the guide (26) in one rotational alignment with the valve body (12) in a normal operating range of relative axial positions of the valve body (12) and inner member (11) and (b) out of sliding engagement with the guide (26) beyond such normal operating range.

Abstract: An improved skirt for use with an automatic or robotic pool cleaner head comprising at least one or a row of double-hinged flaps, each of the flaps comprising a receiving member affixed to the pool cleaner head, an upper articulating member pivotally coupled to the receiving member, and a lower articulating member pivotally coupled to the upper articulating member. The pivotally connected members form upper and lower hinges which allow free radial movement upward to, but not beyond, the bottom surface of the pool cleaning head, and further allow the cleaning head to navigate uneven surfaces or pieces of debris while maintaining effective suction.

Abstract: A pool cleaner having an improved self-starting vibratory power source including a power-source chamber between downstream hose connection and a substantially open upstream chamber inlet and a vibrator with a downstream pivot thereon about which it pivots in the chamber, the vibrator mounted and sized such that all vibrator positions are unstable and flow is substantially unrestricted in all vibrator positions. Preferred embodiments include a drive mechanism mechanically linked to the vibratory power source.

Abstract: An in-line leaf trap captures the leaves and debris that are gathered by a manual or automatic suction-type swimming pool cleaner before they can enter the swimming pool's water filtering system. The leaf trap is placed in-line with the flexible hose that conducts the leaves and debris between the pool cleaner and the poolside suction connection. The in-line leaf trap is a two-piece closed container having inside a removable or integrated perforated or mesh screen debris basket. The body of the trap has two cylindrical tapered openings to mate with commonly used swimming pool cleaner hoses. The openings are oriented to ensure proper flow direction through the trap. The device floats in the pool with its top section just above the water line. The flexible hose is held floating just under the top surface of the water.

Abstract: An automatic swimming pool cleaner of the type driven by water flow, having a housing forming a chamber open at its lower side, pivotable attachment of a hose, and a handle pivotably and detachably secured to the housing, such that the pool cleaner can be used manually or automatically as desired. Various embodiments of the invention include vibratory bristle drive to provide forward motion, directional change, rotational scrubbing, and/or vibratory scrubbing action for dual-use (automatic or manual) and manual cleaning apparatus.